Ackerman Family Vineyards at the Ackerman Heritage House

We had a memorable cooking class at Ackerman for a corporate event. The house is beautifully decorated in Victorian style with lots of character and attention to detail. The chef did an excellent job working with a large group with different levels of cooking experience, and many of us learned a great deal. The meal was delicious, using fresh local ingredients including vegetables from the chef’s garden.

I would like to give this place (that is highly reviewed with the most positive number of stars) a zero because they cancelled my reservation about 24 hours before our visit. I was taking a dear friend of mine out for her birthday and we’ve always enjoyed dining at tea houses for special occasions. We hadn’t seen each other in over a year because of her health concerns. My friend wanted to go to Napa, so I located Ackerman’s Tea Service. Unfortunately, with their cancellation at the last minute, I had to scramble around to find another Tea Service which I was unsuccessful at. I searched online and I called several tea houses even in San Francisco but no reservations were available at the last minute. I expressed my dissatisfaction on their voicemail to the managers. I spoke to one of the managers the next day and all I heard was a litany of excuses for the cancellation. The apology was weak and made me feel worse. The manager had no interest in hearing my side of the story. I consider this the worst possible customer service. When I tried to get a word in, she wasn’t interested in what I had to say. I then heard more excuses. I have never had a restaurant or eating establishment cancel a reservation at the last minute and justify it. I have gone to a handful of tea service places in the bay area and if you’re looking for one in the wine country, I would highly recommend The Taste of Tea in the charming town of Healdsburg. They are a small family business, experts in tea, have a vast selection of tea beverages, delicious Japanese inspired dishes, personalized service, and a lot less expensive than Ackermans’. A photo from The Taste of Tea

Great service, the chef was fabulous, the tasting menu was awesome. We loved the gnocchi and mushroom dish. Wonderful start to our trip.

Sorry, you certainly didn’t hit the mark. For $186.29 I was expecting a wow factor. I’m very well seasoned in the afternoon tea experience and this was not even close. In a positive note the staff were friendly and welcoming, however the food and presentation were sadly lacking. I feel even $40 would have been an overcharge.

We loved the Afternoon Tea at the Ackerman Heritage House. The house looked beautiful with all the winter holiday decorations. The antique toys like the teddy bears and rocking horse with real horse hair were wonderful to see. The teas were delicious and the food, especially the desserts were really scrumptious. Thank you for accommodating our vegetarian. Definitely a lovely lunch in a beautiful setting

Arrived for the tea on a Sunday in mid-March; front door to the house was locked at 10:45am and guests were made to queue on the front porch on a rainy, cold day. Strike one. Everyone was ushered in at 11am and the staff were very kind and showed me to my table for one (sadly, my friend had to cancel due to illness). The table was preset with a lovely menu and place card, and a two tier caddy of the tea items was brought shortly afterwards, along with my pot of tea. For the pricepoint, $65 per person, the tea accompaniments were the worst I have ever had. Soggy salmon & cucumber sandwich, cold, limp and soggy crumpet, an overly-salted deviled egg and ham with red pepper jelly on a biscuit were the savoury selections. The sweets looked pretty -- I only ate one of them -- the scone which had an unnecessary glaze. Ironically, the highlight of the service was the tea! Served in beautiful vintage pots with tea cups to match, the teas had delicate flavours, served at just the right temperature and every sip was perfect. I opted to try a glass of the Ackerman Rose' and it was delicious. Staff were gracious and the hosts as well as teh chef came by and circled every table. The house itself was warm and cozy and guests were encouraged to tour the upstairs and take note of the furnishings and art work. Overall, an incredibly disappointing experience. I was given the extra food from my friend that could not attend (there are no refunds here), and I accepted it and promptly threw it all in the trash once home. Do yourself a favour and just go in to San Francisco if you desire a high tea experience. There is nothing here in Napa or Sonoma that compares with what the city offers in the way of afternoon tea. Food: 1 star; Service: 4.5.

Our wedding at Ackerman Heritage House was absolutely phenomenal! From the initial conversations with Kristie to the final details, the process was far easier than I could have imagined. Kristie, Molly, and her team were so professional and genuinely passionate that we knew we were in good hands. But when it came to the event itself, our expectations were exceeded on every level! From the florals to the photos to the fabulous wine, everything had a personal touch and was totally stress-free. The Victorian was spotless and filled with the magical energy of a truly special place. Our guests kept saying it was the best wedding they'd ever attended. We couldn't agree more! We can't wait to go back for a tasting!

The house is lovely and decorated to mimic a victorian looking house from the 1900's. While everything is not original, it's a lovely setting for day. The tea service however is an absolute rip-off. Prepare to leave feeling like you wasted your money. The world's tinest bites and an unblanced blend of pastries, some entirely too sweet, others lacking flavor. The devil egg will leave you with high blood pressure due to the amount of salt used. The one corner triangle salmon and cream cheese sa(n)dwich (yes a sad excuse for a tea sandwich) was soggy. The crumpet was also soggy and the scone tasted like something from Starbucks. They also mentioned they cater the food from an outside location which means it definitely is not fresh or prepared onsite in the "state of the art kitchen" that they encourage you to check out during your tour. I have had afternoon tea around the world and have to sadly say this is worst one I've experienced. Won't be going back or recommending to anyone. If you do attend an afternoon tea ceremony here, consider it a donation.

We loved the Afternoon Tea at the Ackerman Heritage House. The house looked beautiful with all the winter holiday decorations. The antique toys like the teddy bears and rocking horse were wonderful to see. The teas were delicious and the food, especially the desserts were really scrumptious. Thank you for accommodating our vegetarian. Definitely a lovely lunch